General Motors unveils new Ecotec engine family

GM has showcased a new family of Ecotec engines built on a modular architecture which, the company claims, delivers "leading-edge efficiency, refinement and durability".

A total of 11 engines will be part of the new Ecotec family and they are three- and four-cylinder units with displacements ranging from 1.0- to 1.5-litres. Some of these will be equipped with turbochargers, while the rest will be compatible to hybrid and alternative fuel applications. GM has also claims that the new engines are "highly adaptable" and "less complex" to produce. The company hasn't released specific details on power outputs yet, but has confirmed that they will be ranging from 75bhp to 165bhp. The 2015 Chevrolet Cruze, which will be launched later this year, will see an Ecotec engine under its hood.

GM will manufacture the engines at five different plants - China, Hungary, Mexico, South Korea and the United States. The company expects to produce more than 2.5 million annually by 2017 and has stated that it will eventually us its Ecotec engines in 27 different models by 2017.